SymNet Designer Version 8.01 Release Notes
Copyright
2008, Symetrix, Inc.
I) Changes from previous versions
II) Known Issues
IV) Upgrading Firmware for V8.0
V) Issues with Site files from previous versions of SymNet Designer
This document is intended for those users upgrading from Version 7.0x. If you are upgrading from an earlier version, you may also want to review the release notes from the relevant intermediate releases (e.g. V6.0, V5.5, V5.0, V4.0, V3.5, etc.). These can be found on the SymNet web site.
Note that saving a site file in version 8.0 will change its format and prevent
it from being opened in previous versions.
This is discussed in more detail in V) Issues
with Site files from previous versions of SymNet Designer below.
SymNet Designer V8.01 is a maintenance release for version 8.0.
It is recommended that all users of V8.0 upgrade to V8.01.
1) A problem was fixed with presets on Matrix Selectors. In some cases, the selected input would be off by one after a preset was recalled.
2) A problem was fixed with BGM Combiner modules where combine buttons could not be pressed in certain site files.
3) A problem with Modular ARCs was fixed that sometimes caused their LEDs to toggle on and off continually. New Modular ARC firmware V1.20 is included to fix this problem. Users must manually upgrade their Modular ARC firmware with the supplied file to take advantage of this fix.
4) A problem with the Control I/O was fixed that on rare occasions could cause a Control I/O to miss a transition on an analog switch input. New Control I/O firmware V1.07 is included to fix this problem. Users must manually upgrade their Control I/O firmware with the supplied file to take advantage of this fix.
5) A problem was fixed where CobraLink devices could not receive on more than 10 separate bundles. In addition, fixes were made to accommodate future versions of the CobraNet CM-1 module. New Microprocessor firmware V8.001 is included to fix this problem. Users must upgrade their devices with the supplied file to take advantage of this fix.
6) A problem was fixed where Preset recall buttons did not print properly.
7) A problem was fixed where the delay setting in Loudspeaker Manager modules was incorrect when site files from previous versions were opened in V8.0.
8) A problem was fixed where designs using stereo panner modules sometimes didn’t correctly pass audio.
9) A problem was fixed where buttons on Enhanced theme control screens didn’t draw properly when opening files from previous versions.
10) A problem was fixed where site files with saved super-modules couldn’t display the super-module control screen when adding a new instance of the super-module.
11) The display of Enhanced theme buttons has been improved for cases where the text is too large to fit inside the button.
12) Units that have been disabled are now more distinct graphically.
SymNet Designer V8.0 is a major release and has many enhancements compared to V7.0x. In fact, it is one of our largest releases to date.
1)
A new sleek and modern look is available for all
modules. This “Enhanced theme” can be turned off if the previous look is
preferred. The previous look is now
referred to as “Standard theme.”
2)
Dual-mono versions of some modules have been added. These provide the functionality of two mono
modules but use up much fewer DSP resources.
Most require only slightly more DSP than a single mono module so we
suggest using them in any case where you have 2 identical mono modules. Most
filter and dynamics plus selectors have dual-module versions. Note that these modules are available only in
Express units since they rely on DSP features not present in the original 8x8.
3)
Overall system operation has been sped up. In particular opening, compiling, and downloading
large files is much faster, in some cases over 10x. Designs with many units using complex wiring
will experience the most improvement. As
part of this improvement, a new compression algorithm is used for the archived
sited file. It compresses the file more
quickly and efficiently.
4)
Context sensitive help has been added. Pressing F1 will bring up help for the object
displayed or selected in many cases.
5)
Many more items can be externally controlled. Numeric controls (dB readouts, etc.) can now
be externally controlled. LEDs and Gain
Reduction meters can now be assigned to controller numbers to allow for reading
them externally. In fact, nearly every control in every module can be
externally controlled or read.
6)
Matrix Selector modules have been
added. Conceptually, these provide the
functionality of multiple input selectors wired in parallel. They provide a more efficient way to
implement a scenario where each of a number of outputs can receive exactly one
input. These modules may be found under
the “Routers & Selectors” category.
7)
SymNet Designer 8.0 is now Windows Vista
compatible. This feature resulted in some changes to the default locations
where files are kept. For example site files and super-modules are now stored
in My Documents by default instead of Program Files.
8)
New DeEsser
modules have been added. These can be used to remove sibilance from speech
signals or high frequencies in general from any program material.
9)
Panning modules have been
added. Stereo and LCR versions are included.
10)
Trim modules have been
added that allow changing the gain of a signal from -24 to +24 dB. They are more efficient than the existing
gain modules, plus provide a more useful range of adjustment in some cases.
11)
LED Meter modules have been
added. These are intended for use by
external control systems to provide limited metering, i.e. showing just a few
discreet levels rather than a continuous meter.
One can specify up to 5 signal level thresholds and the module will indicate
if the input signal is above each of the thresholds.
12)
Six and twelve channel versions of the Gain modules have been added.
13)
Six and twelve channel versions of the Radio Button modules have been added.
14)
Twelve channel versions of the Switch modules have been added.
15)
Twelve input versions of the Matrix Mixer modules have been added.
16)
A new 0-1 second Delay module has been added.
17)
For Input Selectors,
more sizes are now available. Every size
from 2-16 channels is now supported so exactly the right size of module can be
used.
18)
BGM Combiners now have mute buttons.
19)
The Limiter
modules now have bypass controls.
20)
Priority Input
Selector modules now have an “On” button for each channel.
21)
For Modular ARCs, a new Custom Radio Button mode is available. This mode allows for better controlling
modules such as input selectors.
22)
A controller linking feature has been added. This option may be selected from the Controller
Manager or Assign Controller dialog (Enable Controller Number Linking). It allows two or more controllers with the
same number to stay in sync, even if they are independently adjusted via
presets or SymNet Designer. It can also
be used to link an LED to an internal control signal.
23)
The Text
control has been enhanced with more options.
Users now have more options for size, borders, alignment, and background. The enhanced Text control also can be used to
create boxes for graphical grouping on control screens or designs (set the text
to blank).
24)
Picture objects now support PNG and JPEG files
instead of just BMP. These formats
support compression, which generally download faster.
25)
All module views have been adjusted so all controls
line up on a 10-pixel grid. This makes
it easier to create control screens from the module controls. By using grids, placement is simplified. The spacing of most controls has been changed
slightly because of this.
26)
Faders in control screens can now be converted to
circular Knobs. Knobs can be packed more densely so are
useful where space is limited.
27)
A new control output module, the Xantech Output has been added. It is intended to allow controlling a Xantech
touch screen from within a SymNet system.
28)
The User Mode/Edit Mode setting is now linked
between all designs and control screens.
Previously, this setting was adjustable for each control screen or
design view individually. This allows
turning off edit for all designs or all control screens with one command.
29)
Some module categories have been renamed for
clarity. The “Mixers & Matrixes”
category has been changed to “Mixers & Gains”. “Matrixes” and “Stereo Matrixes” have been changed
to “Matrix Mixers” and “Stereo Matrix Mixers” respectively to distinguish them
from the new Matrix Selector modules. The sub-categories have been re-arranged
so that mixers and gains are each grouped together.
The “Routers” category has been changed to “Routers & Selectors”.
30)
CobraNet latency is now controlled from the CobraNet
Bundle Manager rather than from the properties of individual units. This provides a single point of control and
prevents inadvertently mis-matching latency settings
between units.
31)
In Control
Packer and Control Unpacker
modules, individual inputs and outputs can now be named for documentation
purposes.
32)
Details about modular ARC programming now appear in
the Report.
33)
An improved retry system is used when hardware
communications fail. This should result
in fewer cases of lost communication especially with slow or unreliable
networks. A side effect is that it may
take slightly longer to report lost communication when a unit is disconnected.
34)
A new menu item Tools->Highlight Assigned/Preset Controls has been added. When turned on, controls assigned to
controllers are highlighted in green and those stored in presets are
highlighted in magenta. In previous
versions of SymNet Designer, there was no way to turn off this highlighting.
35)
Objects in a design such as modules and wires and
can be moved using the arrow keys, similarly to the way faders in control
screens could be moved previously. Undo
now also correctly works with changes made via the arrow keys.
36)
Objects in a design or control screen can now be
locked using a right-click menu option.
Locked objects cannot be moved or deleted. This is useful for background bitmaps on
control screens or protecting key design features.
37)
More options are available for customizing various
objects on control screens. The
Properties dialog boxes for faders, buttons, LEDs,
etc. now provide more control. A few of
the enhancements include naming individual radio buttons, changing LED colors,
and converting faders to knobs.
38)
The functionality of Preset trigger buttons and
Control Screen viewer buttons have been combined. A common dialog box is used for editing
them. This allows a preset to be fired
when a control screen is opened.
39)
Numeric controls are now edited differently. Previously, clicking a numeric control would
bring up a dialog box where the value could be changed. Now, double-clicking the control will select
it for editing in place. When finished
editing, press Enter or click elsewhere.
In addition, numeric controls can now be edited by clicking on the
control and dragging. Dragging up or
right will increase the value while dragging down or left will decrease
it. If the Alt key is held down while
dragging, the resolution is increased to allow for finer adjustments.
40)
Additional items have been added to the System menu, the menu you see when you
click the icon in the upper left corner of a module or design view page. In addition to the standard Windows commands
(Maximize, Minimize, etc.), there are additional commands relevant to the
window clicked, e.g. for modules, storing/recalling presets and assigning
controllers.
41)
The Controller Manager now displays the total
number of assigned RS-232/485 controls for reference.
42)
You can now select multiple RS-232/485 controllers
in the Controller Manager. This greatly
speeds up editing or removing controllers.
43)
Hardware units no longer being sold such as the 8in,
8out, and DigIO have been moved under a “Legacy Units” heading in the toolkit.
44)
When attempting to close a site file that is
currently on-line with hardware, a warning message is now given.
45)
Updating of ARCs has been improved, mainly when
parameters they are controlling are changed via presets.
1)
When opening control screens from previous
versions, they make look different in SymNet Designer 8.0. One issue is that the minimum and maximum
size of faders has been reduced. This
means that if the control screen used very large or very small faders, they may
be re-sized to fit within the new limits.
This may result in controls overlapping or otherwise looking
significantly different. You may also noticed that some text objects appear slightly clipped.
If you are
upgrading at an existing installation that loads a configuration automatically
on start-up, note that the configuration
will not load after the firmware is upgraded until you re-download the site file
using SymNet Designer 8.0.
Immediately after downloading the firmware, the unit will revert to the
“scrolling LEDs” mode indicating no configuration is loaded. To deal with this, the following procedure is
required:
1.
Make
sure you have a copy of the original site file (.sym file). If it exists on
your local drive, skip to step #2. Otherwise, open SymNet Designer 7.0 and
choose Hardware->Upload Entire Site File from SymNet. This will save the
file to your local drive.
2.
Turn
off the automatic configuration load by going to ‘Upgrade Firmware’, clicking
on ‘Erase Memory’, selecting only ‘Triggers and Power on Default’ and pressing
Erase. Repeat for all connected units.
3.
Upgrade
the firmware as described below.
4.
Re-download
your entire site file to the hardware. Open the site file in SymNet Designer 8.0
and choose Hardware->Download Entire
Site File to SymNet (or press F4).
Following the
re-download procedure listed above is necessary to ensure that the DSP code
running in your hardware is the correct version to work with the new firmware
and SymNet Designer application code. In
particular, the transition from version 7.0 to 8.0 has so many significant
changes that a re-download is required.
Version 8.0
installs to a separate location than from previous versions on your hard drive.
Version 8.0 will not interfere with your Version 1.x, 2.0, 3.x, 4.0, 5.x, 6.0,
or 7.0 settings. Version 8.0 can cohabitate with
previous versions on your PC. It is important to note, however, that the
firmware on the hardware must match the version of SymNet Designer that
communicates with it. Version 8.0 will only communicate with hardware that is
running the firmware released with Version 8.0, etc. If you intend to switch
between versions of SymNet Designer while using the same hardware, you must
remember to change the firmware each time. SymNet Designer checks this on
download and warns you if a mismatch is detected.
IMPORTANT: In order to run SymNet Designer version 8.0,
the firmware in your hardware devices must be upgraded to the latest level. If
you are receiving this software with a new SymNet device from the factory, then
the firmware versions should already be correct. However, if you are using it
with an existing SymNet device, then the firmware must be upgraded.
(Information about the latest release versions is always available on the SymNet web site.) When you
try to download a design to SymNet hardware, the firmware versions will be
automatically checked and you will be told if an upgrade is required.
Note that there are
also ‘Verify’ buttons in the ‘Upgrade Firmware’ dialog for the Microprocessor
and FPGA files. These allow verifying that the Microprocessor and FPGA firmware
files in your hardware exactly match the files on your hard disk.
NOTE: For CobraLink and Express Cobra units,
there is also firmware from Cirrus Logic (formerly Peak Audio) that controls
the CobraNet features. You may need to upgrade this firmware as well. See Upgrading CobraNet Firmware using
CobraNet Discovery below for instructions.
As of this writing,
the current versions of the SymNet firmware are as follows:
SymNet
Microprocessor file: Version 8.001 (applies to SymNet DSP, CobraLink, and
BreakIn/Out devices.)
SymNet
DigIO/Express Microprocessor file: Version 8.001 (applies to SymNet DigIO and
Express devices.)
SymNet FPGA file for SymNet DSP Devices: Version 8.000
SymNet FPGA file for CobraLink Devices: Version 8.000
SymNet FPGA file for BreakIn/Out Devices: Version 8.000
SymNet FPGA file for DigIO Devices: Version 8.000
SymNet FPGA file for Express Devices: Version 8.000
(See Why are there
two different files? below for more information.)
1. Follow the step above under Installation Notes above.
2. Install SymNet Designer 8.0 using the
provided Setup utility. This will copy the necessary firmware files to your
hard drive.
3. Launch the version of SymNet Designer that
was just installed.
4. Connect your hardware devices as they would
be for normal operation. Disconnect or power down all audio devices, especially
power amps and speakers, connected to SymNet during the upgrade.
5. In SymNet Designer 8.0, choose Hardware->Upgrade Firmware. Press
the Auto Upgrade button. This will upgrade all connected units. If you want,
you can verify the correct versions on the connected units. Click the ‘Close’
button when you are finished.
If you encounter problems with this
procedure, try the manual operation procedure below.
1. Follow the step above under Installation Notes above.
2. Install SymNet Designer 8.0 using the
provided Setup utility. This will copy the necessary firmware files to your
hard drive.
3. Launch the version of SymNet Designer that
was just installed.
4. Connect your hardware devices as they would
be for normal operation. Disconnect or power down all audio devices, especially
power amps and speakers, connected to SymNet during the upgrade.
5. In SymNet Designer 8.0, choose Hardware->Upgrade Firmware. The
dialog that appears will tell you the version of the firmware in your hardware
devices.
6. Click the ‘Upgrade’ button under SymNet
Microprocessor file. An open file dialog will appear allowing you to navigate for
firmware files. By default it should take you into the C:\Program
Files\Symetrix\SymNet Designer 8.0\Upgrade folder. Select the file
SymNet_MicroProc_V8000.bin and click ‘Open’. (If you are using a DigIO or
Express, select that file instead.)
7. After this finishes, click the ‘Upgrade’ button under SymNet FPGA file. Select the SymNet_FPGA_V8000.bit file and click ‘Open’. (If you are upgrading a CobraLink, BreakIn/Out, DigIO, or Express device, select the respective file instead.)
8. If you have more than one SymNet device, select each device using the address dropdown at the top of the dialog box and repeat steps 5-6.
9. If you are using CobraLink or Express Cobra
and have more than one ring, also repeat for all devices on all rings using the
Ring dropdown at the top of the dialog box.
10. When finished, click ‘Close’.
SymNet firmware has
two components, the microprocessor file and the FPGA file. They are generally
independent and both may need upgrading.
The microprocessor
file contains the code that SymNet's embedded microprocessor runs. This
microprocessor is responsible for communicating with the host, managing the
DSPs, external control, and many other tasks. One version of the microprocessor
file is common to all SymNet devices other than the DigIO and Express,
i.e. SymNet DSP, CobraLink, and Break In/Out devices. A second microprocessor
file is used with both DigIO and Express devices. The microprocessor file for
these devices is prefixed with DigIO_Express_MicroProc.
The file for all other devices is prefixed with SymNet_MicroProc.
In both cases, the version number is contained in the file name.
The FPGA (Field
Programmable Gate Array) file controls the programmable logic devices used in
SymNet. These devices manage the SymLink bus, handle audio I/O, facilitate DSP
communication, and perform several other tasks. The FPGA file is common to all
SymNet DSP devices (i.e. 8x8, 8in, 8out). However, a different file is required
for each of the CobraLink, BreakIn/Out, DigIO, and Express devices. The file
intended for SymNet DSP devices is prefixed with SymNet_DSP_FPGA.
The file intended for CobraLink devices is prefixed with CobraLink_FPGA.
The file intended for BreakIn/Out devices is prefixed with BreakIO_FPGA.
The file intended for DigIO devices is prefixed with DigIO_FPGA.
The file intended for Express devices is prefixed with Express_FPGA.
In all cases, the version number is contained in the file name. By default,
SymNet Designer only shows you files valid for your particular unit and
additionally checks the file contents to prevent you from using the wrong type
of FPGA file.
New releases may include new firmware versions for Symetrix RS-485 devices such as the Control I/O, Modular ARC family, and ARC-II. If new firmware is provided, it will usually be listed in the release notes section. To upgrade RS-485 device firmware, follow these steps.
1. Follow the step above under Installation Notes above.
2. Install SymNet Designer 8.0 using the
provided Setup utility. This will copy the necessary firmware files to your
hard drive.
3. Launch the version of SymNet Designer that
was just installed.
4. Connect your RS-485 devices as they would be
for normal operation. RS-485 devices
must have unique addresses (set by DIP or rotary switches on the units, see the appropriate hardware Quick Start Guide for
more information).
5. If you are working with an existing site
file that includes the RS-485 devices, open that site file.
6. Choose Tools->Controller
Manager. If your RS-485 devices are not listed under ‘RS-485 Controller
Network’, you will need to add them. This can either be done manually using the
‘New RS-485 Device…’ button, or by sensing what units are connected using the ‘<<
Upload’ button.
7. For each RS-485 device that you wish to
upgrade, select the device and click the Edit… button. In the dialog box that
appears, click the ‘Upgrade Firmware…’ button. Choose the appropriate firmware
file and press ‘Open’. (You may also use
‘Verify Firmware’ to determine if upgrading is necessary.)
8. Press ‘OK’ and continue to the next RS-485
device, if there are more.
To take advantage
of some new CobraNet features in SymNet Designer such as low latency, CobraLink
units need to have CobraNet interface firmware V2.9.6 or later. Express Cobra
units should use firmware V2.10.6 or later. However, these are minimums and it
is advisable to use the most recent firmware which as of this writing, are V2.9.16
for CobraLink and 2.11.6 for Express Cobra. In particular, there are some
important fixes in 2.11.6 that improve system reliability, so upgrading to Express
Cobra units to 2.11.6 is strongly recommended. You can check the version of
firmware running on your CobraLink unit using SymNet Designer. It is listed in
the ‘Upgrade Firmware’ dialog after ‘Cobra Interface Firmware Version’. If you
need to upgrade the firmware, follow these steps.
1. Download and install CobraNet Discovery (aka “Disco”), Cirrus Logic’s utility for upgrading CobraNet firmware and monitoring a CobraNet network. This software is available from the Cirrus Logic CobraNet Downloads page.
2. Obtain the latest CobraLink CM-1 or Express
firmware from the SymNet web site. Unzip and
copy the file to the CobraNet Discovery\firmware directory. By default, this is
C:\Program Files\Cirrus Logic \CobraNet Discovery\firmware.
3. Launch CobraNet Discovery and power up all
CobraLink or Express Cobra units. All units must be attached to a network that is
visible by the PC running Disco.
4. For each unit, assign an IP address by right
clicking and choosing New IP Address. The assigned address must be in the same
sub-net as the PC running Disco.
5. For each unit, upgrade the firmware by right
clicking and choosing Update Firmware. Select Symetrix CobraLink version 2.9.16
for CobraLink units and Express version 2.11.6 for Express Cobra.
6. When
prompted, power cycle each unit.
In version 8.0, the site file (.sym file) format has changed from previous versions. You will be able to open all previous version site files in version 8.0 or later. However, files saved with version 8.0 will not be readable by previous versions.
If you are working with site files from version 3.5x or older, there are some additional issues. Since version 3.5x and older site files supported eight configurations instead of only one, you must choose the configuration to load when opening site files from these older versions. When you first open a V3.5x or older site file in V8.0, the Select Configuration dialog box appears asking you which configuration you wish to load. (If a particular configuration was not used in that site file, ‘empty’ is displayed after the configuration name.) After you select a configuration, the file is opened with the filename changed to indicate the selected configuration. For example, if the original site file was named My Site.sym and you selected Configuration 1, the new filename would be My Site-Configuration1.sym. If your older site files use only one configuration, opening and re-saving once is all that is required to convert them to V8.0 format. If they use more than one configuration, you must repeat the process for all configurations. For example, if a previous-version site file used 3 configurations, you would need to open it 3 times, once for each used configuration. The result would be 3 new V8.0 site files. Note that the Select Configuration dialog box displays ‘empty’ after any configuration that was unused in the older site file to aid in determining how many configurations your file used.
If you intend to maintain both V8.0 and previous versions on your computer, we recommend the following guidelines to minimize difficulties with file formats:
A) Backup all previous version design files.
B) Don't use the same file names for Version 8.0 design
files.
C) Choose the default locations when installing
software.
D) Do not use version 8.0 software with
previous versions of firmware or previous versions of software with version 8.0
firmware.
It is recommended
that you backup your version 6.0x or earlier design
files to a secure location before using or installing Version 8.0. Even if all
else goes completely wrong, as long as you have those files, there is a way to
recreate your old setup. Note that once you save a file with SymNet Designer 8.0
and overwrite a file from a previous version, it will no longer be readable in
the previous version of SymNet Designer.
If you are going to
maintain both versions of the software on your PC, it is highly recommended
that you include something in the file name of all previous version files you
save to indicate their version. This way you will be able to tell the files
apart if they become co-mingled.
Even if you are not
going to maintain both versions, it is a good idea to use this practice at
least until all your design files have been converted and you have fully
embraced Version 8.0.
When you install
any version of SymNet Designer software, allow the installation to go to the
default folder. This ensures that multiple versions will not interfere with
each other.
The versions of
software and firmware must match! The only operation you should do that accesses hardware with mismatched
software and firmware is to upgrade to the correct firmware. Upgrading is
generally possible regardless of the firmware mismatch. If this is not the
case, the release notes will make a point of mentioning this.